Elsevier and the Geological Society of London Team up to Deliver Cutting-edge Science for oil and gas Exploration

AMSTERDAM, October 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

New Geological Society of London module in Geofacets further enables the corporate application of scientific research

Elsevier, a world leading provider of scientific, medical and technical information products and services, has today announced a new partnership with the Geological Society of London (the Society) that will allow customers of Geofacets, Elsevier's premier research tool for geoscientists, to quickly find, search and analyse georeferenced maps sourced from the Society's world renowned Lyell Collection. This collaboration brings together over 165,000 geological maps from Elsevier's top Earth science journals and the Lyell Collection, with approximately 75% of these maps georeferenced for seamless integration into the geoscientist's workflow.

By partnering to launch the Geological Society of London module in Geofacets, Elsevier and the Society will deliver significant advantage to companies focused on upstream oil and gas exploration, for whom relevant and timely insights are critical in informing multi-million dollar exploration strategies and decisions.

"What we do as geologists has little value unless we make it as widely accessible as possible," said Edmund Nickless, Executive Secretary of the Geological Society. "As the oldest national geological society in the world, our challenge has always been how best to share our knowledge and understanding of the Earth. So when we learned about Geofacets from our colleagues at Elsevier, we recognised the value of this collaboration."

Once a company has started to drill, it can cost up to $3 million USD per day. Organisations therefore need access to high quality, relevant information in order to make high-stakes decisions with increased confidence. Launched in 2010 and used by customers from around the world, Geofacets is a web-based database of georeferenced geological maps designed to do just that. Its intuitive search features enable geoscientists to explore data via an interactive map interface. Results can then be refined by geological basin, map type and map surface area. With the database now made more comprehensive by the addition of maps from the Lyell Collection, companies will be further able to build a powerful picture of the subsurface and geological conditions on a region or basin.

The Lyell Collection was created in 2007 to mark the Geological Society of London's 200th anniversary. It is one of the largest integrated collections of online Earth science literature in the world and is a one-of-a-kind resource for researchers. The sheer depth of information it contains makes it a vital repository for exploration teams around the world.

"This partnership will give our customers more opportunities to discover that one tiny gem of knowledge that can sway their business outcomes -- especially as they assess potential plays, new frontiers and unconventional sources of oil," said Friso Veenstra, Director of Market Development from Elsevier. "Technology is changing the face of research and oil and gas exploration alike, and by unlocking the insights hidden in volumes of scientific content for use in exploration, you can open up a whole new line of thinking."

The Geological Society of London module in Geofacets is available from today. For more details, please visit: http://www.unlockthescience.com/

About Geological Society of London

The Geological Society of London, founded 1807, is a learned and professional body of 10,000 Earth scientists based all over the world, with a remit to investigate, interpret, discuss, inform and advise on the nature and processes of the Earth, their practical importance to humanity and, in the interests of the public, to promote professional excellence. It is the UK national society for geoscience, and the oldest geological society in the world.  The Society offers advice to Parliament and Government, at individual and corporate levels. Registered Charity No. 210161.  The Society provides a wide range of professional and scientific support to around 10,000 Fellows (members), about 2000 of whom live overseas. More than 2000 Fellows are also Chartered Geologists.

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include SciVerse ScienceDirect, SciVerse Scopus, Reaxys, MD Consult and Nursing Consult, which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite and MEDai's Pinpoint Review, which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.

A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world-leading publisher and information provider, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

Elsevier B.V. Registered Office: Radarweg 29, 1043 NX Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Registration No. 33156677 (The Netherlands)

Media Contact:

Tom Reller
VP, Global Corporate Relations, Elsevier
T.Reller@elsevier.com
+1-215-239-3508